Forgiveness and retribution are key themes in newcomer Brennan's lyrical if slow-moving first novel, which tells the story of a man who abandons his responsibilities to pursue his creative needs. Bill Argus is 63 and a successful photographer of desert scenes when the novel begins. After four decades of guilt and remorse, he has finally decided to return to the tiny Northern California town of Pianto and make amends for his youthful sins. As a young man, he abandoned his 16-year-old wife, Annie, bound to him in a shotgun wedding, and left town. The story is narrated by Bill's second wife, Nora, who tenderly recounts her husband's struggles with guilt and his need to meet his son, Hayes. Nora interpolates her own fractured family life into the drama, revealing that her father abandoned her when she was only a baby. Back in Pianto, Bill and Nora find that his younger brother, Cam, picked up the pieces after Bill's departure by comforting Annie and taking Hayes under his wing. When Bill at last encounters his adult son, his decision to hide his true identity proves to be the ultimate test of will and honor. The final group photo shoot shamelessly but appropriately tugs at the heartstrings. Brennan's tone is smooth and conversational, but the frequent chronological shifts that fill in the backstory and add dimension to the characters are awkward and jarring and slow the narrative's momentum. Despite its sensitivity and poignancy, this debut lacks the adrenaline to keep it afloat. Northern California regional author appearances.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Realizing that you can never really go home again, but knowing that he must, photographer Bill Argus decides to revisit the town, the family, and the memories he deserted many years before. Seeking deliverance and reconciliation, 63-year-old Bill undertakes a momentous emotional and physical journey into the past to make peace with his present. Told through the somewhat jaundiced prism of his second wife's eyes, Bill's uneasy reunion with the people and life he abandoned in the harshly beautiful California desert becomes a catalyst for another journey of the soul and spirit. In relating both Bill's past and present experiences, Nora Argus must confront her own demons, spawned from an unhappy childhood and an unfulfilled relationship with her mother. Brennan intricately interweaves several interrelated stories into a lyrical testament to life, love, and redemption. A powerful debut novel from an exciting new talent. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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